Coria beats Agassi to reach tourney final

Agassi overruled a judge, giving Coria a second chance to play a point.
ROME (AP) -- Andre Agassi wonders if he's done with tennis in Rome.
He lost to Guillermo Coria 7-5, 7-6 (0) on Saturday in the semifinals of the Rome Masters and made his customary exit with bows and kisses. The sellout crowd responded with a long standing ovation.
Agassi turned 35 a week ago and has not won since his lone title of 2004 at the Cincinnati Masters last August. He said that after every tournament the thought crosses his mind that it could be his last visit.
"I think about it all the time really -- 14 times a year the past three or four years," he said, referring to the number of tournaments he plays each season. "It was a great atmosphere out there. If I can still walk a year from now I'm going to try to come back."
Coria, last year's French Open runner-up, has few doubts about Agassi's durability.
"Every year you think it's his last and then he comes back and he's even fitter," the 23-year-old Argentine said. "It's unbelievable how he runs. I just tried to hold on and make it tough for him."
The ninth-seeded Coria will play for the title today against Rafael Nadal in this clay-court tuneup for the French Open this month. Nadal reached his third straight final by beating Spanish countryman David Ferrer 4-6, 6-4, 7-5 to extend his winning streak to 16 matches. He is a tour-best 30-2 on clay this year.
Judging
Agassi, who had not lost a set this week, was on the verge of evening the match with Coria while serving for the second set at 5-3. On the second point of the game, however, Agassi overruled a line judge and gave Coria a second chance by replaying the point. Agassi went on to lose the point and the game.
Agassi, seeded sixth, dropped to 5-2 against Coria, with both losses on clay. Coria also won in the 2003 French Open quarterfinals. The Argentine improved to 13-2 on clay this season.
Agassi criticized the way Coria handled a call earlier in the match, saying he already was pointing as if his ball was out before it landed.
"That behavior is unacceptable," Agassi said.
Final
The final will be a rematch of the one in Monte Carlo last month when Nadal won in four sets. The teenager also captured a tournament in Barcelona, Spain, in April.
For all his success, Nadal could be showing signs of wavering. He dropped the first set Saturday, as he did in the quarterfinals.
"I feel a bit tired mentally and physically," Nadal said. "I fight for every ball."
Coria is not sure that matters.
"Even when he's not very fit he runs a lot," he said. "He's still incredible."
Nadal, seeded fifth, and Ferrer struggled to hold serve in the second and third sets. Nadal could not convert his first two match points while serving at 5-4 in the third set.
Two games later, Nadal hit a two-handed backhand passing shot to set up his third match point, prompting the teenager to run halfway across the court and launch a leaping fist pump. When Ferrer's forehand sailed long on the next point, Nadal dropped to his knees and raised his arms.
Ferrer was appearing in his second Masters Series semifinal this season after also losing to Nadal in Key Biscayne, Fla.
Nadal is trying to become the third straight Spanish winner in Rome following Felix Mantilla in 2003 and Carlos Moya last year. Coria could become the first Argentine champ in Rome since Alberto Mancini beat Agassi in the 1989 final.
Nadal, who turns 19 next month, is also looking to become the youngest winner in Rome since Jimmy Arias (18 years, 9 months) in 1983.
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